Solo Travel For Dummies Companion Site

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Solo Travel For Dummies 3D book cover

Solo Travel For Dummies is your guide to the best ways to see the world on your time and your dime. Forget about waiting for someone else to be ready to hit the road. Take travel into your own hands and find out how to pick a destination; plan your trip; get to, from, and around your destination; know how to stay safe and be aware of your surroundings; decide what sights to see and where to eat; and so much more.

Chapter 2: Preparing for Your Solo Adventure

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Enroll your trip abroad with the U.S. Embassy.

Smart Traveller: Enrollment program for Australians abroad.

Registration of Canadians Abroad: Enrollment program for Canadians abroad.

Foreign Travel Advice: Advice for British citizens traveling abroad.

Adventure Women: Female-focused travel website for adventure travelers.

Black Girls Travel Too: Travel website running trips designed for women of color.

Wild Women Expeditions: Female-focused travel website.

Rome2Rio: Find out the cheapest way to get from point to point.

Skyscanner: Flight comparison website.

Two's A Crowd: Small group tours for solo travelers.

Overseas Adventure Travel: Small group tours that offer a large number of single spaces.

Google Maps: Helping to plan journeys, get directions and source specific locations.

Navitime: Door-to-door travel app for navigating Japan.

Gojek: Low-cost motorbike ride-share company operating in Southeast Asia.

Pacific Northwest Trail: Long-distance hiking trail in the USA.

Great Divide Trail: Challenging long-distance hiking trail in Canada.

Land's End to John O'Groats: Self-guided long-distance hiking trail in the UK.

West Highland Way: Long-distance hiking trail in Scotland.

Milford Track: New Zealand's most famous long distance walk.

Overland Track: One of Australia's many multiday walks, in Tasmania.

Nakasendo Way: Five-day self-guided walk in Japan.

Kumano Kodo Trail: World Heritage listed walk in Japan.

Tongariro Crossing: Challenging one-day walk on New Zealand's Mt Tongariro.

Rubicon 3 Adventure: UK-based sailing company offering expedition trips.

Trans Dinarica: Cross-border cycling route in eastern Europe.

Grasshopper Adventures: Cycling tours in Asia.

Aspen Gay Ski Week: Largest gay ski event in the USA, held every January.

Winter Rendezvous: Five-day LGBTQ+ pride event, held every January in Vermont.

Club Med: All-inclusive resorts for families, with locations all over the world.

Paradise Guest Ranch: Wyoming guest ranch, welcoming guests since 1907.

Dude Ranchers Association: Lists guest ranches throughout the western USA and Canada.

Estancia Los Potreros: Guest ranch in Argentina.

Classic Safari Company: Offers horseback riding adventures in Botswana.

Okavango Horse Safaris: Botswana horseback safaris for experienced riders only.

African Horseback Safaris: Offering horseback safaris in Botswana and South Africa.

Visit Iceland: Information about riding tours on Viking horses in Iceland.

Relief Riders International: Humanitarian-based adventure company running horse-riding tours in Asia.

World Expeditions: Adventure travel company offering community project travel.

Biosphere Expeditions: Citizen-scientist trips with conservation at its core.

Earth Watch: Science-based organization that offers volunteer tours.

The European Nature Trust: Wildlife experiences working alongside conservation experts.

Domino Volunteers: Colombia-based volunteer organization.

Travelling Fit: Holidays for runners.

Bangkok Marathon: Early morning starter for marathon runners in Thailand.

Great Wall Marathon: Popular marathon event in Beijing, China.

Luang Prabang Half Marathon: Charity event for a children's hospital in Laos.

3 Marathons in 3 Days: Small but popular event in Cairns, Australia.

Australian Outback Marathon: Desert run in Australia's Red Centre.

Antarctic Ice Marathon: World's southern-most marathon event.

Everest Base Camp Marathon: High-altitude event held every May 29 to commemorate the first summiting of the mountain.Polar Circle Marathon: Challenging run on snow and ice in Greenland, every October.

Big Five Marathon: Event can be combined with a South African safari experience.

Serengeti Girls Run: Three-day event to support the education of girls in rural Africa.

Thelma and Louise Marathon: Women's only event in Utah.

Leading Ladies Marathon: Women's only event in the Black Hills of Dakota.

Race for Life Marathon: Held at 150 locations in the UK to raise money for cancer research.

Osaka International Women's Marathon: Held every January in Japan.

All Women's Run: Events for all levels of runners, held every March in the Philippines.

Chapter 3: Managing the Logistics of Solo Travel

Xe: Currency converter

Star Alliance: Global airline alliance group offering points on member airlines.

SkyTeam: Global airline alliance group offering points on member airlines.

Oneworld: Global airline alliance group offering points on member airlines.

Kayak: Airline fare comparison website.

Google Flights: Airline fare comparison website.

Momondo: Airline fare comparison website.

Skyscanner: Airline fare comparison website.

Expedia: Travel comparison site.

Hopper: App that analyzes cheapest travel dates for flights, accommodations, and rental cars.

Skytrax: Information about airlines, lounges, and airports, including seat pitch.

Trip Advisor: Online forum for travelers to review airlines, hotels, and products.

FlyerTalk: Online forum for travelers' airline reviews.

Seat Guru: Lists airline seat pitch, width, and other info.

Changi Airport, Singapore: Regularly voted best airport in the world.

Insure My Trip: Comparison site for travel insurance.

Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP): Free service for US citizens to register your trip abroad.

Registration of Canadians Abroad: For Canadian citizens to register their trips abroad.

Foreign Travel Advice UK: For UK citizens to search for advice about travel to other countries.

Smart Traveller: Free service for Australian citizens to register your trip abroad and find advice about travel to other countries.

Chapter 4: You Can't Take It All with You: Packing

Worn Wear: Allows you to trade in or buy used Patagonia brand products, including bags.

International Electrotechnical Commission: Lists plugs needed to fit power outlets in every country.

Chapter 5: Don't Leave Home Without Them: Money, ID, and Devices

Foreign Entry Requirements: U.S. State Department info on passport requirements around the world.

Xe: Currency converter.

OANDA: Currency converter.

MapsWithMe: Travel maps, navigation and tourist guides app.

WiFi Map: Directory of public wireless hot spots.

Chapter 6: A Room of Your Own

Hostelling International: Global organization operating around 3,000 youth hostels.

Hostel World: Good source of information about hostels around the world.

Hostelz: Good source of info and reviews about hostels, with comparisons of booking platforms.

misterb&b: Specializes in accommodations for LGBTQ+ travelers.

Booking.com: Accommodations booking and review site.

HostelsClub: Booking site for hostels around the world.

Casa Particular Cuba: Booking site for homestays in Cuba.

Homestay: Around 63,000 rooms in 175 countries to choose from.

HomestayIn: Simple, user-friendly homestay website.

HerHouse: House-sitting app exclusively for solo women.

G Adventures: Global tour company that incorporates homestays.

Stay Japan: Lists accommodations in Japan, including homestays.

Bed and Breakfasts: UK booking site for B&B accommodations.

BedandBreakfast.eu: Booking site for B&B accommodations around the world.

HomeExchange: Home-swap website with 150,000 listings in 45 countries.

Trusted Housesitters: Largest worldwide platform for house-sitters.

Mind My House: Reputable worldwide house-sitting platform.

House Carers: Reputable worldwide house-sitting platform.

House Sitters America: House-sitting platform for the USA.

Aussie House Sitters: House-sitting platform for Australia.

Kiwi House Sitters: House-sitting platform for New Zealand.

Couchsurfing: Largest platform for couch surfing.

YMCA: Listings for hotels and hostels run by the YMCA.

University Rooms: Lists rooms at universities, college, and student residences in 100 cities.

Stay in a Pub: Lists pub stays in the UK.

English Country Inns: Lists pubs and inns in England.

Pub Rooms: Lists pub stays in Australia.

Temple Stay: Korean temples open to foreign tourists for overnight stays.

Shukubo: Japanese temple stays.

Japanese Guest Houses: Bookings in English.

Monastery Stays: Specializes in stays at monasteries and convents in Italy.

Monasteries.com: Everything you need to know about staying in a monastery.

Goodnight and God Bless: Booking site for monasteries, convents, abbeys, and other religious accommodations around the world.

Club Med: Worldwide resort company with good options for solo travelers.

Intrepid Travel: Global travel company for small groups and independent tours.

Chapter 7: Table for One

Yunnan Noodle Shack: Toronto's first solo-only restaurant.

ICHIRAN: Japanese ramen restaurants ideal for solo diners.

Oncore: Harborside restaurant that welcomes solo diners in Sydney, Australia.

Mimi's: Beachside restaurant in Sydney, Australia.

The Rover: Sydney bar and restaurant that welcomes solo diners.

Restaurant Hubert: French-inspired Sydney restaurant that welcomes solo diners.

Eat With: Sign up to "eat with a local" in 1,100 destinations.

Borough Market: Historic market in London, England.

Old Market Hall and Market Square: Best place in Helsinki for Finnish delicacies.

Lau Pa Sat: Singapore food market known for hawker food.

St Lawrence Market: Toronto's best farmers' market.

Amphawa Floating Market: Small boats laden with delicacies; cooked on the spot for you, outside Bangkok, Thailand.

Kowloon City Market: Hong Kong fresh food market with 600 stalls.

La Boqueria: One of the world's oldest food markets, in Barcelona, Spain.

Tsukiji Fish Market: Huge fish market in Tokyo, Japan.

Ferry Plaza: Local and organic market in San Francisco.

Mercado Central: Seafood market in Santiago, Chile.

Queen Victoria Market: Undercover market in Melbourne, Australia.

Jemaa el-Fna: Evening outdoor food market in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Bauermarkt Kaiser-Josef-Platz: Traditional outdoor market in Graz, Austria.

Get Your Guide: Online booking site for food tours.

Chapter 8: Meeting People and Making New Friends

Cultural Atlas: Great resource about cross-cultural attitudes, practices, norms, behaviors, and communication, listed by country and religion.

Duolingo: Popular free language app.

Italki: Language app offering one-on-one lessons for a fee.

Pimsleur: Language app offering fifty-one languages.

Tandem: Free language app that pairs you with a native speaker.

Berlitz: Online language school.

Instituto Cervantes: Accreditation for Spanish language schools.

Federation of Associations of Spanish Schools for Foreigners: Umbrella body for Spanish language schools.

Instituto Cultural Oaxaca: Spanish language school in Mexico.

Alliance Francaise: World's leading French language teaching organization.

Il Sasso: Italian language school in Tuscany.

Hostelworld: For forums on friendly and sociable hostels.

Free Tours by Foot: Walking tours in fifty cities around the world.

A Small World: Holds events in eighty cities to connect travelers.

Meetup: Gatherings for like-minded locals and travelers.

Tourlina: Women-only network to help solo travelers find a travel companion.

Global Greeters: Volunteer tour guides who offer free walking tours of their cities.

Show Around: Finds local tour guides to tailor a tour for you.

Tours By Locals: Canadian-based website finding local tour guides in 190 countries.

Airbnb: Suggests things to see and do with local guides or as community events.

Couchsurfing: Lists local events and your host will know things to do, too!

Dating Across Cultures: Things you need to know about dating in your destination.

Safer Sounds: Signals and codewords to bar staff that you need help.

Human Dignity Trust: Resource for information about legality of same-sex activity in countries around the world.

International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association: Online map detailing laws relating to LGBTQIA+ status.

Chapter 9: Keeping Healthy

Time Shifter: App to help you adjust to a new time zone.

Jet Lag Rooster: App to help adjust to a new time zone and avoid jetlag.

We Love Lucid: UK-based travel company offering alcohol-free tours.

HOOKED Alcohol Free Travel Adventure: Tours for sober travelers.

Sober Sensations: Alcohol-free dance parties in Germany.

Daybreaker: Alcohol-free sunrise dance parties around the world.

Carnival Cruise Line: Major cruise line with options for non-drinkers.

Norwegian Cruise Line: Major cruise line catering to non-drinkers.

ParkRun: Local running events held in twenty-two countries. Sign up and run with the locals.

Headspace: Meditation app.

Calm: Meditation app.

Chapter 12: Ten Great Destinations for Solo Travelers

Australia: Official tourism website for Australia.

Australia Visitor Visas: How to apply for a Work and Holiday or Working Holiday visa for Australia.

Austria: Official tourism website for Austria.

Visit Finland: Official tourism website for Finland.

World Happiness Report: Find out why Finland is the happiest country on Earth.

Ireland: Official tourism website for Ireland.

Japan Travel: Official tourism website for Japan.

New Zealand: Official tourism website for Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Visit Scotland: Official tourism website for Scotland.

Visit Singapore: Official tourism website for Singapore.

Tourism Thailand: Official tourism website for Thailand.

Vietnam Travel: Official tourism website for Vietnam.

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